It’s Miss Frugal’s ninth birthday next month and she’s started making plans for her party already. In fact, she has a birthday party notebook (any excuse for stationery in this house) detailing her plans for the event of the year and I was just reading out her demands requests to my dad over the phone when he reminded me of one of my birthday parties when I was around the same age.
I remember the party he means because he hired a camcorder (yes, hired it) for the day and spent the whole day filming everything, including my Nana arriving with my weekly copy of Twinkle aswell as my mam and nana making all the food and setting everything up. I love to watch the video back because it brings back some really happy memories but one thing I’ve noticed is that it’s so different to the party Miss Frugal’s planning, it really shows how times have changed.
Not that she’s going to get everything on her party wishlist but look how her perfect party now compares to my perfect party at the same age:
My Party
(I know I’ve used this photo of me before but I can’t be bothered to brave the garage to find another photo)
Venue: Home.
Guests: Six girls, all quiet and smiley.
Wardrobe: Best Party dresses and shiny shoes.
Games: Pass the parcel, Pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, musical statues.
Food: Hot dogs, pineapple and cheese cocktail sticks, egg sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, butterfly cakes, crispy cakes, crisps and the obligatory jelly and ice cream.
Presents:
Miss Frugal’s Party
Venue: Home but only after a pink limousine picks the girls up from school to bring them here!
Guests: Six Girls, most of them loud and demanding.
Wardrobe: Anything goes – jeans, dresses, heels, make up etc (not necessarily on my daughter).
Games: Karaoke on the Xbox 360 and Bowling on the Wii.
Food: Pink Cupcakes, pink iced biscuits, ham sandwiches, strawberries, pink jelly, anything else pink and a Glee birthday cake.
Presents: Nintendo 3DS, Ipod touch, Hello Kitty sticker maker and anything pink 😉
See what I mean, the most technology I got was a cassette walkman that didn’t even have a rewind button, if you wanted to listen to a song again you had to turn the cassette over and forward it and then turn it back over and hope you were in the right place and as for a limo, I thought only movie stars and people in Dallas and Dynasty could afford them (not that I think we’ll be getting a limo mind).
I’m actually considering getting Miss Frugal a Fashion Wheel, I remember having hours of fun on it when I was her age. I did try ebay for one and was quite suprised at the cost of them but apparently they’re retro now so they’re not cheap.
Are there any other toys from my youth that I’ve forgotton about?
I'm 19 and my birthday parties when I was younger were just like yours, my parents can't of spent more than about £30 on me. In the past 10 years technolagy advancements mean that kids are aware of so much more and therefore expect so much more. I find it a little sad xx
I know exactly what you mean – kids expect more now and would but disappointed with a lot of things I would have loved when I was their age x
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..extra wait .. …
LOVE it! I had exactly the same presents as a child, except I had 'fashion plates' rather than the fashion wheel lol! I REALLY wish I had kept it as it was fab 😀
You could spend hours playing with it couldn't you? I'm def going to get one for her x
Love it! My birthday party plans and present requests were pretty much the same as yours and you've just reminded me my fashion wheel is in my mums loft somewhere – must rescue it before she moves!
Make sure you do – you could sell it on ebay x
brings back good memories twinkle and pass the parcel!. Them good old days. It is very different now.
I remember watching tv on a tiny black and white tv about 6 inches big that had a radio tuner on it and a casette recorder I thought I was lucky !
Ha ha we had one of those Tv's too x